KKR Spars With DOJ Over Deal Reviews in Bad Omen for PE Firms

KKR & Co. and the Justice Department are sparring over a push to hold the firm’s top executives more accountable for disclosures related to takeovers, as US authorities deepen their scrutiny of the private equity industry.

The high-stakes fight stems from a federal investigation into whether KKR withheld information in its filings to government agencies about the competitive impact of mergers and acquisitions. To settle the probe, antitrust enforcers want the famed buyout firm to agree that their co-chief executive officers could be held personally liable for future lapses, according to people familiar with the matter.

KKR has rebuffed that ...